1. Field, of the Invention
The present invention comprises an apparatus for placement on a roadway to generate power from the weight of passing vehicular traffic.
2. Description of the Related Art
Ever increasing demand for electric power requires that new sources of energy be located and utilized. One untapped resource exists in the form of potential energy stored by the millions of vehicles which travel the world""s highways every day. Each moving vehicle has a weight which generally ranges from 2,000 pounds for a small passenger car to 80,000 pounds for a large tractor-trailer truck. If even a small percentage of the energy represented by this vast amount of moving weight could be harnessed and converted to useable form, then the resulting power output would be tremendous.
Prior attempts to harness the potential energy of moving vehicular traffic include Roche, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,212,598, which discloses placing a plurality of pneumatic cylinders or air bladders under respective pivoting actuating panels in a roadway or sidewalk. As vehicle or foot traffic passes over the actuating panels, air is forced out of the cylinders or bladders and circulated to a turbine which is rotated by the flow of air. The turbine is connected to a generator which produces electricity.
McGee, U.S. Pat. No. 4,614,875, discloses placing a plurality of small rotor and stator type electric generators under a roadway. Each generator is connected to a vertical spindle which is depressed when a vehicle passes thereover. The spindle has screw threads which rotate the rotor of the generator when the spindle is depressed, thereby generating electricity.
Galich, U.S. Pat. No. 6,172,426, discloses an energy producing platform having a fluid filled bladder positioned therebeneath such that the fluid is compressed by vehicles passing over the platform and forced out of the bladder. The fluid flowing from the bladder is circulated to an accumulator which releases the fluid when a preset pressure is reached. When released from the accumulator, the fluid flows to a generator where the flow is used to produce electricity. In an alternative embodiment of the invention, a moveably mounted platform has a lever arm connected to it such that downward movement of the platform caused by a vehicle passing thereover causes the lever arm to pivot. A hydraulic cylinder is connected to an outboard end of the lever arm such that fluid is forced from the cylinder upon actuation of the lever arm. Again, the fluid is channeled through an accumulator to a generator to produce electricity.
The present invention comprises an apparatus for generating power from vehicular traffic. According to one preferred embodiment, the apparatus includes a plurality of actuators that have a cylindrical shape in the preferred embodiments, each of which has a piston slidably mounted therein and a fluid cavity beneath the piston. Each of the pistons has an upper face which is extendable above a road surface so as to be engageable by passing vehicles. When a passing vehicle engages a piston, the weight of the vehicle pushes the piston downwardly and causes fluid to flow from the respective fluid cavity toward a turbine or other power conversion means. The flow causes the turbine to rotate, thereby producing useable energy. As contemplated herein, the types of vehicular traffic can include automobiles and trucks, wherein the tires of the vehicle directly impact the actuators or trains wherein activators separate from the train""s wheels are used to engage the actuators.
According to another preferred embodiment, the apparatus is configured for use in a roadway and includes a plurality of hydraulic actuators. Each actuator comprises a piston that is at least slidably mounted in a fluid cavity. The fluid cavity is in turn coupled to at least one fluid port through which fluid provided by a fluid source can flow to and from the fluid cavity as the actuator is activated. Further, a road surface is provided that includes the top surfaces of a plurality of actuator caps that are disposed on top of the hydraulic actuators. Operationally, when a passing vehicle of a predetermined weight engages the top surface of the actuator, an associated piston is urged to slide inwardly into the fluid cavity, displacing fluid contained therein and causing the fluid to flow out of the at least one port. In one variation of this embodiment, a power converter, such as but not limited to a hydraulic turbine coupled with an electric generator, is fluidly coupled with the at least one fluid port of each hydraulic actuator. In another variation, the actuator caps form a plurality of platform pads that have substantially flat top surfaces. Preferably, each top surface is coplanar with adjacent top surfaces and they are arranged in an array to substantially form the road surface over which a vehicle passes. Wiper seals may be provided to span any gaps between the platform pads hindering debris from infiltrating into the body of the actuators.
According to yet another preferred embodiment, an apparatus for capturing energy from vehicles as the vehicle""s wheels pass over the apparatus comprises an array of pads having substantially flat, coplanar surfaces, wherein the wheel(s) of a vehicle only contacts the surfaces of one or more pads when traversing across the apparatus. Each pad is mounted to and over at least one hydraulic actuator. Each hydraulic actuator comprises a piston slidably mounted in a fluid cavity and at least one fluid port extending into the cavity. In a variation of this embodiment, a hydraulic turbine is fluidly coupled with the plurality of hydraulic actuators, and in another variation the hydraulic turbine is coupled to an electric generator.
In a forth preferred embodiment, an apparatus for capturing energy from a train car comprises one or more hydraulic actuators. Each actuator is stationary and located proximate a set of train tracks and includes a fluid cavity with at least one fluid port, an impact area adapted for contact with at least a portion of the train car. As the train car passes proximate the hydraulic actuator, the weight of the train car acting through the impact area causes hydraulic fluid to flow out of the at least one fluid port. In a variation of this embodiment, a hydraulic actuator with an electric generator is fluidly coupled with the one or more hydraulic actuators. The electric generator may be coupled to an electric power grid.
In a fifth preferred embodiment, a system for capturing power from one or more train cars moving along a set of train tracks includes one or more power capture devices that are located near the tracks. The system further includes one or more power capture device activators that are adapted to impact the power capture device as the train car passes proximate the power capture device. A variation of this embodiment includes a hydraulic turbine with or without an electric generator that is fluidly coupled to the power capture device.
In a sixth preferred embodiment, a method for generating power from a train having one or more train cars is described. First, a train is propelled along a set of train tracks. Next, the piston of a hydraulic actuator is depressed by the weight of the train car causing fluid to flow from the hydraulic actuator. Finally, the hydraulic fluid is directed from the hydraulic actuator and through a hydraulic turbine. In one variation, electric energy is generated by an electric generator coupled with the turbine.
Other embodiments and variations thereof are contemplated and described below and in the appended claims.